France said yesterday it was handing over €181m in frozen Libyan funds to the country's opposition and allowing the rebels' new ambassador to use the country's mothballed embassy in Paris.

The French Foreign Ministry said the money must be used for humanitarian purchases.

The announcements came after French foreign minister Alain Juppe's meeting with Mansour Seyf al-Nasr, the Libyan opposition's new ambassador to Paris.

Before the meeting, Mr Al-Nasr said he would urge the NATO-led coalition to continue its air campaign against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began yesterday.

France has played a key role in NATO's campaign to protect civilians from a crackdown by Gaddafi's forces on the uprising against his rule.